storytelling
Social Media Issue 3
from the editor
HELLO THERE, READER! Social media has completely altered our way of life. It has changed how we speak to each other, how we act and even how we receive information. But I'll stop there because the negative affects of social media have been discussed in length since its inception. In this issue I will focus on how social media has actually changed the way people tell and share stories, which has been a positive trend seen in the journalism and communications world.
YOURS TRULY, Carol Wright EDITOR IN CHIEF @_CAROL_WRIGHT
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Social Media x Storytelling Writing by Carol WrightÂ
It is interesting to see how social media has evolved over the past few years. It started out as a way for people to connect with other people, mainly on Facebook until apps like Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat popped up. Out of all the apps that have made a significant difference when it comes to storytelling I think that Instagram has had the biggest impact. When Instagram first came onto the scene it was mainly used as a way to share random photos of food and life moments but as it grew, creatives and professionals started to see the value in telling stories through photos. This allowed for storytellers to get more and more creative with how they would create and share stories. Looking at accounts such as Humans of NY and Subway Book Review, it is clear that those accounts are popular because Instagram users are looking for ways to one, find community through social media and two, see real and interesting human stories. With an app such as Instagram that has a large amount of influencers and content creators it is refreshing to see accounts that highlight real people doing and talking about real things. Those accounts also work because they are concise in their storytelling. On humans of NY you're getting a snapshot of someone and their story. You get reeled in, first through the photo but then once you begin to read the caption you get an understanding of someone's life struggles or joys. This tactic allows for Instagram users to relate to those mentioned on the account. More often then not the comments on a Humans of NY post are centered around feeling sorry for someone, feeling happy for someone, giving advice to that person or relating to that person's story. Subway Book Review uses these same tactics in order to share stories with their audience. Although it is said that no one should judge a book by its cover, through this account people are looking at book covers and ultimately getting excited or intrigued. A lot of the comments revolve around people's excitement when they see that a person on the subway is reading a book they have already read, which goes back to this theme of building community through the account. One thing that allows for the Subway Book Review to stand out is the fact they interview the people holding the books in the photos and have that person share why they like the book or why they connected to the book. It would be very easy to just post a photo solely of the book and leave at that but they have managed to share human stories through showing books people are reading. Both Humans of NY and the Subway Book Review have been received so well by Instagram users because they actually make sure to tell real human stories, something that people will always be interested in. Although the two accounts mentioned above are not necessarily news accounts. I think that news companies should be taking note of what is working for those accounts. As people read the actual news less and as the public becomes more distrusting of those sharing the news it is vital that news organizations find any and all ways to share their stories with the public.
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Applying These Tactics in Real Life Writing by Carol WrightÂ
How I as a budding journalist can use social media to tell stories: Using pictures as an effective way to draw in a reader. Taking the best quotes to use in the caption to entice readers. Having good reporting and figuring out ways to break it down into the most important information that can then be shared on social media. Using creative apps as a way to design content for Insta Stories and other platforms to share stories. Overall, thinking of out of the box ways that social media can help relay stories and reach a wider audience.
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